Police respond to 911 hangup, find food fight

Richmond Hill

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POSTED:October 17, 2007 5:05 a.m.

Domestic, other

Sept. 24 – A 911 hang up turned out to be a food fight. When police arrived at Sterling Creek Drive in response to the hang up, the woman they met had tomato sauce all over her shirt and "appeared to be in distress," the report said. She told the officers her and her boyfriend had been visiting the homeowner, and engaged in an argument during dinner.

The boyfriend, who also displayed tomato sauce on both his chin and shirt, said they were "only having a food fight." During interviews with both, police learned they had been drinking and both were intoxicated, according to the report. They were told to find rides home.

Theft by conversion

Sept. 25 – A woman was allegedly ripped off $3,000 for a home improvements investment that never came to be. The woman said she paid the money in advance, for a sunroom through Quality Home Improvements, and the report noted her check was cashed within 30 minutes of issuance.

She said she was told work would begin sometime during the week of July 30 and Aug. 4; on Aug. 4 she contacted the business and was told it would be another week because of the heat.

The following week, it was a truck mechanical failure that prevented work from starting, the report said. She told police at that point, she requested a refund and the order be cancelled, but she was promised the project would begin on Aug. 21. On that date, when nothing happened, the woman said she was able to get in touch with the company, but was allegedly told she would not be getting her money back and was hung up on. On Aug. 22, another employee reportedly told her it would be refunded by Aug. 27.

As of Sept. 25, the woman has been to the magistrate office of Chatham County, the Better Business Bureau, and the Attorney General’s office.

The woman said the company has one Bryan County and two Chatham County offices, and learned the family-owned operation has numerous complaints on file at the Better Business Bureau, the report said. Police provided the woman with a case number.

Simple battery

Sept. 30 – The Knights Inn night clerk called in a complaint after two separate rooms said there might be a domestic dispute occurring. When the officer arrived, he was approached by a woman in the parking lot, who said she needed help.

The woman said her and her live-in boyfriend were in Room 111, after arriving from South Carolina, and had been drinking while watching the Clemson game on TV. She said while he had gone out to purchase some snacks, she had attempted to find a ride back home.

The woman told the officer the last time they had come to Richmond Hill, she had filled a missing persons report because her boyfriend had disappeared and spent $1500 on drugs. When the man returned to the room, he began drinking heavily, the report said.

When the woman asked where he had been, he allegedly became irate and began throwing things, threw the woman to the ground, and threatened her until she "felt fear for her life," the report said. She said after some struggle, she left the room and told the clerk to dial 911. The report noted she had a cut on her left hand, but the woman did not need EMS.

When police questioned the man, he said he had gotten lost on his way back from Harvey’s and when he returned, his girlfriend accused him of cheating and being a drug addict. He told her if she was unhappy she should go back home, and they argued for a bit until she left. The police said the room showed visible signs of a struggle, and the man was arrested.

Criminal trespass

Sept. 30 – "My mom wants me to make a report, and I really don’t want to," were the first words out of the Osprey Drive victim’s mouth when police arrived in response to a damaged vehicle report.

The victim’s mother, the complainant, said the girl’s ex-boyfriend had broken the windshield of her daughter’s car. The girl said her and the offender were driving together and began fighting over the offender’s desire to spend the girl’s birthday with her, the report said. The suspect then allegedly punched the windshield and caused it to crack. The victim said he then began to cry and tell her how much he cares about her, and the victim repeatedly said she did not want to see him get in trouble. Her mother said she would be following up with the magistrate.

Shoplifting

Sept. 27 – A Kroger employee called in a shoplifting call for three family packs of steaks and a bottle of Kendall Jackson wine, totaling over $80. The employee said she noticed a man wearing a red shirt and blue jeans, concealing goods inside the store. She said when other workers attempted to confront him, he fled to a green Nissan Sentra and took off down Hwy. 144. Police could not find the suspect, but got a written report out of several witnesses within the store.

DUI

Sept. 28 – At about 12:30 a.m., an officer noticed a silver Chevy Monte Carlo having difficulty staying between the lines on Hwy. 17. The vehicle was pulled over, and the driver said he had drunk one beer, quickly changing the number to "five or six," the report said. When asked for insurance, the driver said it belonged to the passenger, who produced his Georgia Department of Corrections ID card.

The driver was asked to step out and agreed to take a field breath test, which tested positive for alcohol. When asked to perform the field sobriety tests, the man refused. He was arrested, blew an alleged .142 down at the station, and was taken to jail.

Miscellaneous complaint

Sept. 25 – Police arrived at the Ford Plantation to assist EMS, who was called out in response to a head wound. The victim allegedly had been drinking, and as a passenger in a golf cart, had fallen out and struck his head. The golfing friends didn’t think much of it, until they realized the bleeding was not subsiding and the man was becoming unresponsive. The man was still unresponsive when police arrived, and was transported to Memorial.